


The End of the World Starts Here

by lost_spook



Category: Press Gang, Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Crossover, Ficlet, Gen, Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4931422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_spook/pseuds/lost_spook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lynda's got an important choice to make before it's too late...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End of the World Starts Here

**Author's Note:**

> Written for an LJ meme prompt: Lynda Day + Sapphire, something’s going to explode!

Lynda had learned a thing or two about newspapers after a couple of years on the Junior Gazette and one of those was that articles didn’t explode, except metaphorically, and even then only if you were really unlucky.

And yet, if an article _did_ explode in a literal sense, it’d be kind of logical for it to leave stray words all over the rest of the newspaper.

“I’m afraid you can’t possibly print this edition,” Sapphire said. “The problem will only escalate until everything is under threat.”

Lynda shook her head. “We can’t afford not to! Besides, articles just don’t explode. This is some sort of joke, isn’t it? Spike put you up to this, right? Or Kenny – Kenny got them to print this out because –” Lynda stopped, because she couldn’t think why Kenny would do something stupid like this. She’d called him a pathetic excuse for a human being the other day, using many examples from their past thirteen or fourteen years of friendship to illustrate why, but it wasn’t as if he was usually bothered by that sort of thing. He’d have stopped being friends with her at least thirteen years ago if he was. Sarah might, of course, but _not_ to her precious lead article. 

“Oh, great,” Lynda said, sagging back down into her chair as the obvious explanation dawned on her, as did a familiar headache. “It’s Colin, isn’t it? What is it this time? Some sort of advertising stunt?”

Sapphire was ignoring her, staring hard at the mock-up, all ready to print. Her eyes might just have been glowing blue. “You need to destroy it.”

“Look,” said Lynda, trying to be reasonable, because it was the middle of the night, she was in her pyjamas in the newsroom, and a weird acquaintance of Colin’s was the last thing she needed, “articles _don’t_ explode. Except in my dreams. Is this a dream?”

“Would it help if it was?”

“Well, if it’s my dream,” said Lynda, “it’s a rubbish one. I think I’d prefer Spike.”

Sapphire held a hand over the rough copy of the paper, as if she was trying to hold something back. “Reality is thin here. It won’t take much more.”

That, thought Lynda, could explain a _lot_. Especially Colin.

“You put it together,” said Sapphire. “You can take it apart.”

“So,” Lynda said, “you’re really serious about this: the world or the latest edition of the _Gazette_ and I’ve got to choose?”

“Something like that.”

It was so unfair, thought Lynda. Why did she always get the really _difficult_ questions?


End file.
